Donna Saslove And Simon Lugassy - JO LEE Magazine

INDULGENCES
In A World Without Hunger
By Emelisa Callejas
Consul of Honduras – Atlanta
Photography by Paul M. Wingler
It all began in the year 2000, when
Carlos Andrés Zelaya, Program
Coordinator of the Representation
in Honduras for the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO),
called, inviting me to visit a project
that my brother, Rafael Callejas,
former President of the Republic of
Honduras, Central America, had
supported during his administration.
To my utmost astonishment – I was
amazed!
Ten years earlier, the farmers of
Lempira Sur could barely produce
enough maize, beans and sorghum to
feed their families. Only two years
earlier, when in 1998 Hurricane
Mitch hit the country, it was the
same farmers who provided tons of
emergency food aid to their fellow
citizens in other parts of the country.
Realizing that Honduras already
had proven methodologies of
“how to” successes, my mission on
eradicating hunger and malnutrition
in Honduras began.
Looking for similar programs, my
research led me to Sue Church.
Sue is director of the Atlanta based
NGO Honduras Outreach Inc.
(HOI). What impressed me was
that Olancho Department had
been identified as an area with one
of the highest concentrations of
poverty and infant mortality. The
median rural family income was
less than $400 annually, with 68 of
every 1,000 children dying before
reaching the age of five. It was
HOI that had made a significant
impact on reducing infant mortality.
Its Economic Development and
Vocational Schools had increased
their income by well over 400
percent. Children now growing
up in the region were experiencing
undreamed of possibilities. Within
days, our National Crusade against
Hunger and Malnutrition began.
We formed teams with Rotary
clubs of Honduras and Atlanta, the
University of Georgia, with friends
and others. The venture grew
exponentially over the years and with
its growth came the realization that
my country was in need of a massive
and united front to win the battle.
The conundrum was that historically,
Honduras has been divided by two
major political parties that would
never be able to come together, not
even for a cause!
On 28 June 2009, the unthinkable
happened. Unexpectedly, the people
of Honduras came together as a
whole, united for its sovereignty.
Sue and I realized that the most
important step had taken place.
Now it was only a matter of time,
for at that moment, Honduras was
electing its new government with
the prime candidate promising to
commit to the cause.
Today, Food Security has been
officially declared State Priority.
Furthermore, Honduras has
committed to creating three avenues
from which hunger and malnutrition
will be eradicated. UTSAN was
formed by governmental offices
harmonizing and coordinating the
state efforts; COTISAN where large
NGOs, Government and Donors
meet; and ANSAN where the civil
society sits.
As for the next challenge, ANSAN
must bring together the extremes of
the country. Here the Right has to
sit with the Left, the Catholics with
the Protestants, and the rich with the
poor. If ANSAN has success, it will
give sustainability and transparency
to the process.
President Lobo is declaring the year
2011 as the year of Food Security in
Honduras. The Congress is passing
a decree where food security will be
a constitutional right. Honduras is
not alone. The challenge is not only
a Honduran challenge. It belongs to
the world.
Training on healthy eating habits
has become a world priority that
demands mankind working together
to accomplish a civilization without
hunger, without undernourishment,
and without obesity.
Will you join us In A World Without
Hunger?
JL
Jo Lee Power 2011 45